Help! Bsc in Gaming

[IWillSurviv]

I’ll probably get a lambasting here but I’m going to post anyway.

DS trotted off for his first open day yesterday, currently in L6. Subjects include Maths, Economics and Computing. For yrs he wanted to study engineering, but physics got too tough so dropped it after Xmas. He was adamant he wants to study Computing and artificial intelligence. I’ve tried to advise him that AI is a bit too narrow a field and should look at something like Computing in Business but been told firm, No! His short list of Unis so far (subject to change) include, Nottingham, Birmingham, Sheffield, and Sussex, Surrey, Kent.

Went to open day and texted to say he’s thinking about changing his course. excited I text back to ask what is he thinking of? His reply, ‘Gaming and Multimedia’’.

Gaming and multimedia! All I can hear is Mickey 🐭 . Are there enough jobs Inc this field? Will any employer ever take him seriously? I don’t mean the odd employer but really, are they loads of employers crying out for graduates with degree in Gaming? He seems he’ll bent on it.

What about Computing and Cyber Security? That's what my game loving DS has opted for BSc

The push towards ‘big data’ is being hampered by a shortage of well qualified data scientists and lots of places are snapping up data analysts. I also wouldn’t be sniffy about AI - all those Alexas & whatnot are just the start. There are moves to have things like initial medical consultations (think NHS Direct-type services) managed through AI/machine learning like Google Duplex.

I studied Artificial Intelligence at Sussex Uni, OP (graduated in 2002 when it was COGS, I believe they call the dept Infomatics now)

I can promise you that in his first year, he will study what everyone else is in the dept including those doing straight Computer Science. He will then pick his modules specialising afterwards but it won’t be a Mickey Mouse degree in terms of content under Gaming and Mutlimedia (they have world leading professors in HCI there!) The theory is rigorous.
I got a job as a programmer for a medium sized company with my Artificial Intelligence degree and a few years later decided to train as a teacher. It sounds like your DS is on the right track to doing well. Please don’t worry!

O thank you all. More replies!.

@Kitty_ So good to hear that. That's brilliant, he did say something like that abouyt the first two yrs but i said wouldn't it be better though to have AI as your degree than BSc Gaming, to make it more attractive to employers like you did. do you know any of the people who followed the gaming route and do you know if they employment easily?

I am still friends with someone who did, yes, although they did also do a Masters there afterwards. They currently work in Canary Wharf.
I did go out with someone who was doing similar at Brighton uni and they didn’t do as much in depth programming (they were still writing single functions when we had programmed large classes for text based games)

@Kitty - Actually forget my previous question, i think its just me getting hung up over the name of the degree. I am curious though as to why you decided to retrain to teaching. Was AI boring?

Sorry cross posts, but thanks for answering.

My job wasn’t actually in an AI field! Just programming solutions for clients. I realised desk jobs weren’t for me (Google-type offices weren’t a thing back then!!) and I wanted to be in the classroom, teaching the next generation

I see now. Thanks anyway for becoming a teacher, people like you are inspiring our children.

I feel much much better now and Sussex is a good Uni i hear.

BTW Watch out for comp sci departments that are expanding too quickly - ie increasing student numbers without increasing resources.

Interesting that people are saying gaming is a good industry to work for. My dh strongly discouraged our son in his gaming aspirations because his IT colleagues that went into gaming were he though very badly treated, an expectation that they would accept very long working hours and poor conditions because of the allure of the industry meant that there were always others looking to take their places. That may have changed but I think it's generally better to take broader courses with specialist modules rather than narrowing your focus so much so early. My nephew who took a similar degree to the OP's son (different university and with more of a strong creative focus) is yet to find a satisfying job three years after graduation.

Hmmm. I don't know much about the industry here but can imagine myself posing the same question in a few years time. Gaming is a huge industry but it is narrow isn't it? It's basically tying yourself to a leisure industry which trades on shifting units.

Old-fashioned me thinks a degree in something more adaptable like computing/ AI might be more use and more versatile from a jobs point of view.

It may be your son is not looking at it from a jobs POV but more from an enjoyment/ vocation POV. That is fine as long as you don't have very specific career goals in mind, or, if you do, you are damn sure your degree will lead to the job you want.

Be wary of uni/course employment rate stats. Employment in what field? Controlling for other factors like intake and social/familial connections of cohort?

I work in the field and they are not highly regarded at all. If he wants to code Computer Science, Physics or Maths are the respected degrees to go for.

fwiw my dd's bf studied computer science at Sheffield , graduated last year and his first graduate job he's earning 38K per annum as a data analyst for a software company , with potential to double this in a short time
He's 'fluent' in about 12 computer codes and has already written several apps

Gaming is a massive industry but not as highly paid as other computing sectors like IT, Banking and Finance, TV and film.

Has he always been this spoilt? Why can't he just have the good sense to do a fevered computer science degree and see where it takes him rather than narrowing down his c options from the word go for the sake of having some fun. IT is beginning to boom. If he did a proper degree and did well he could be eating very good money very quickly.

I who what ihuntmonsters is saying- gaming coders are very poorly paid, compared with other fields of programming. Financial systems pay the best. Games companies have so many applicants they can keep paying peanuts- people still apply. It's pretty exploitative.

Why should you not do something you just love at uni?? That isn't spoilt. It's (arguably) just living a fulfilled life.

What a miserable world if we all have to do the course that best prepares us for a top flight career, regardless of whether it's what you're interested in.

Games developers can earn a lot if they're good. Lots of potential for working in Japan or the States to if that interests him.

So don’t the Japanese and Americans have enough of their own talent? One would imagine they do so opportunities may be in short suppy, especially in Trump’s inward looking Usa.

I have a close friend who has a first degree in a similar Gaming area. His advice is like ihuntmonsters's DH - that the industry is quite difficult and sometimes cruel - and similar to Kitty my friend now teaches and maintains tech for schools. He enjoyed his time at Uni though and still does make mods and things as a hobby though when we've discussed if he'd recommend it for others he says if they're realistic that they're unlikely to do it full-time and willing to involuntarily see all the bugs and mistakes in all animation and games for the rest of your life, go for it

louderthan would you care to name some companies that do? DH and DB both earn six figure salaries as programmers, but neither would touch gaming companies. (DH is finance/commerce, DB in AI)

Why does success have to be measured in 6 figure numbers? (I love your username by the way!)
Programmers can often be quite snobbish and elitist (not saying your DH and DB are) in their respective fields (I get very bored with ‘which language is the best’ conversations for example) and would never tell someone they shouldn’t do something.

I have no expertise in this field but would think better to study something rather more traditional and then subspecialise, ie some kind of engineering ideally or perhaps computing, with as much exposure to the industry as possible and postgrad internships or further degrees or training in the industry he wants